Times Creates 2 New Units in Consolidation

The Los Angeles Times on Monday announced a consolidation of six separate departments into two new divisions: public affairs, and consumer promotion and marketing.

R. Marilyn Lee was named to the newly created position of vice president of public affairs. Lee, who was vice president of human resources, will head the new public affairs department that will bring together community affairs, regional public relations and communications functions that previously were conducted by The Times’ regional editions. Lee will report to Jeffrey S. Klein, senior vice president of consumer marketing.

The consumer promotion and marketing department will be headed by Kay Heitzman, director of marketing for the Valley and Ventura County editions. Heitzman, who will also report to Klein, takes on the title of director of consumer promotion and marketing.

“We are excited about bringing together our very talented marketing and public relations people to form a new integrated team,” Klein said.

Lee joined The Times in 1990 as director of human resources and was promoted to vice president of human resources two years later. She started at Times Mirror Co., parent of The Times, in 1982 as director of human resources. Before that, Lee was a deputy city attorney for the city of Los Angeles.